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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · straw · file · deal · saw · row · chair · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com